Sweet Sparkling Wine
From LoveToKnow Wine
Sweet sparking wine is not just for celebrations or for wine novices who are looking for a sweeter wine. These delightful glasses of fun can be pure heaven on the palette anytime – and can be enjoyed with, or without, food pairings.
Sparkling Can Be Everyday
Champagne and other sparkling wines are often associated with celebrations which often keeps them from being enjoyed everyday. The sparkling wines tend to have a higher acidity, a more delicate flavor and lower alcohol content than most table wines – usually about six to seven percent alcohol.
The lower alcohol content and the sweet bubbly texture make this a favorite wine of people who don't usually drink wine. The broad appeal of this wine makes it an excellent wine for toasting at large gatherings. The sweeter sparklers are also excellent alone, with fruit, fresh-baked pasties or as a dessert wine.
Keep one in the fridge, ready for whenever you want a little sweet heaven. Most sparkling wines lose their flavor and fizz after a few years in the bottle, so they are best enjoyed soon after bottling.
Harvesting the Grapes
There are several methods to selecting grapes for a sweet wine:
- Sun Dry - The grapes are picked before they have fully matured (to preserve their acidity) and then they are dried in the sun to produce their sweetness.
- Pick Frozen – The mature grapes freeze on the vine. The frozen grapes and surrounding frozen water are pressed into a somewhat syrupy dessert wine.
- Stop Fermentation Early - The fermentation process is stopped before it is finished, which leaves more sugar in the wine and results in less alcohol being produced.
- Pick Late – The grapes are harvested late in the season when they are their sweetest.
Producing the Wine
Most sweet sparkling wine is produced using the Champenois production method. Whole and partially pressed grapes are chilled in a fermentation chamber and then filtered as the batch ferments. Once the resulting must has completely broken down, it is placed in a sealed container and allowed to warm up to 18 degrees Centigrade to start the fermentation.
The fermentation causes the release of carbon dioxide. Once the alcohol content arrives at about 5 percent, the valves on the container are closed. The pressure is monitored until the alcohol reaches the winemaker's goal - often 7 percent. At this point the fermentation is stopped and the wine is bottled. This is different than the process used with champagne which is usually allowed to continue its fermentation after bottling.
Measuring Sweetness
The actual sweetness of the wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar that is left in the wine when it is bottled:
- Extra dry or Extra Sec – 1.2 to 2 percent is slightly sweet
- Sec – 1.7 to 3.5 percent has noticeable sweetness
- Demi-sec – Has 3.3 to 5 percent and is very sweet
- Doux – Has over 5 percent and is extremely sweet
Selecting Grape Varietals
Most American sparking wines are made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grapes. California enjoys a wide variety of sparking wine options including its rose-colored sparkling wines. The pink coloring comes from a blending of red wine, usually a Pinot Noir.
International sparkling wines tend to be produced from local varietals:
- French - Pinot Meunier is often added to other varietal for a sweeter wine.
- Italian – Spumante is a sparkling wine. Asti wines are made in a sweet style with Muscato grapes grown near the town of Asti.
- German and Czech – A Sekt wine is made from a Riesling varietal.
- Australian – The sparkling wines are often made from Shiraz grapes.
- Spanish – A sweet sparkling wine is called a Cava, with dulce being the sweetest.
- South Africa – Enjoy a Cap Classique for a sweeter wine.
Balance is Key
Selecting an excellent sweet sparking wine really depends upon your personal preference for the balance of sweetness against the acidity. Price is definitely not a differentiator – some the most highly rated are the least expensive.
| | | Price | |
| Chandon Extra-Dry Riche | 92 | Wilfred Wong | $19 |
| Piper Heidsieck Subline Demi Sec | 91 | Wilfred Wong | $45 |
| Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz | 90 | Wilfred Wong | $17 |
| Mumm Champagne Carte Classique | 90 | Wilfred Wong | $30 |
| Ballatore Gran Spumante | Gold Medal | 2008 Monterey Wine Competition | $7 |
| Martini & Rossi Asti | 88 | Wine Enthusiast | $11 |
| Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry | 87 | Wine Enthusiast | $11 |
| Beringer Sparking White Zinfandel | 86 | Wilfred Wong | $9 |
How to Serve
Once you've selected your perfect bottle, take special care to enhance its character by correct chilling and serving.
Serving Temperature
A sparking wine is best when chilled. The wine should be about 45 degrees when served – usually the result of a fridge chill of three or four hours or overnight. If the wine is too warm, it will have a lot of foam when opened and the taste will not be as good as a wine which is served at a cooler temperature.
For a quicker chill, resist the urge to put the wine in the freezer. Instead, pack the bottle with ice in the sink or an ice bucket.
Glassware
To maintain the bubbly nature of the wine, use narrow glassware. The wider the surface area of the wine, the faster the bubbles will dissipate. For long-lasting sparkle, serve a sweet sparkler, and all sparking wines, in a narrow flute to maintain the bubbly nature of the wine as long as possible.
Pouring
Allowing the sparkle to shine on your palette starts with how you pour the wine into the glass. As soon as the wine touches the glassware, it will start to return to lose its chill and bubble. By holding the neck of the bottle, you can tilt the bottle and glass at the same time, pouring small amounts of the wine down the inside of the glass. This keeps the wine bubbly and cool while minimizing any residual foam.
Leftover Wine
Share the enjoyment and finish the bottle. However, if you have some wine leftover, you can store it in the fridge. Don't assume that you can recap the bottle and enjoy the wine tomorrow with the same level of bubbles. Unfortunately, even with a technological-wonder wine stopper designed for champagne, you have little chance of maintaining the bubbles.
Instead, consider using the leftover wine to be the focus of another wonderful sensation for your palette. Consider mixing the leftover wine with fresh or frozen berries in a granita or sorbet. Serve either recipe in a tall, chilled champagne glass – pure enjoyment, the second time around.Learn More
This page has been accessed 4,229 times. This page was last modified 22:22, 7 July 2008.
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